Maine Senator Susan Collins is seeking reelection in a contest that will test how voters weigh her role in confirming the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade. The November 3 election marks the first time Collins has appeared on the ballot since the 2022 decision that ended federal abortion protections and led to bans or severe restrictions in much of the United States.
Collins, a Republican who has long presented herself as a defender of abortion rights, voted in 2018 to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. She said at the time that she believed Kavanaugh would respect precedent, including Roe v. Wade. When the court overturned the 1973 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, that assurance became a central point of criticism from abortion-rights advocates and political opponents in Maine and nationally.
The senator has since supported legislation to codify abortion protections into federal law, but those efforts have failed in a divided Congress. Her campaign is now framed around a broader record that includes her work on appropriations, her reputation for bipartisanship, and her willingness to break with her party on certain votes. Opponents argue that her procedural and legislative positions have not been enough to counter the practical effects of the court's decision, which has changed access to abortion across large parts of the country.
Maine's political landscape is closely watched because it is one of the few states with a Republican senator representing a constituency that leans competitive in national elections. Collins has historically outperformed other Republicans in the state by appealing to independents and moderate voters, particularly in the Portland suburbs and along the coast. This year, the shadow of the Supreme Court's abortion decision is expected to shape turnout and the priorities of those voters, especially women and younger residents.
The election will also serve as a measure of how durable Collins's personal brand remains in a polarized environment. She has faced criticism from both sides: conservatives who question her independence from Democratic priorities, and liberals who say her votes on judicial nominees helped produce the current court. Her campaign has emphasized local issues such as fisheries, health care, and the economy, while her opponents have sought to keep the focus on reproductive rights and the consequences of the Dobbs ruling.
With the election approaching, the contest is likely to be read as a referendum not only on Collins but on how voters in a closely divided state interpret the role of a senator in confirming justices and the long-term effects of those confirmations. The outcome will help determine the balance of power in the Senate and offer an early indication of how abortion policy shapes electoral choices more than a year after the court's decision.